Real Franchise Story panel presents Sam Gale

Meet our Walsall franchisee, Sam Gale…

Sam left school at 16 and completed an electrical apprenticeship with a local electrical contractor whilst going to Walsall College. Five years later, he joined the army and retrained as a Tank Mechanic serving all over the world with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. After 7 years’ service, he left the forces and re-trained by doing a NEBOSH health & safety certificate and securing a position as a consultant with a small H&S company with Sam focusing mainly on health, safety & fire in engineering. After four years, Sam joined a large corporate compliance company, where he worked with clients such as Rolls Royce and Aggregate Industries providing advice on fire safety. Find out more about Sam below…

Why did you go down the franchise route? And why did you choose Jacksons?

I was looking for a change after working as a consultant in health, safety and predominantly fire safety, however, I wanted to stick to something I knew well. I had in my mind that I was going to start a fire risk assessment & training company, I was actually helping a friend look for a franchise opportunity when I came across Jackson Fire & Security. As I have a background as an electrician and have installed fire and intruder alarms in the past it seemed to fit very well with my experience.

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?

Initial training included a mixture of classroom-based training on fire alarm and security system design, online training with written assessments and practical training with experienced engineers. Ongoing training is geared more towards sales and business growth along with specific product training from well-known manufacturers.

What is a typical day for you as a franchisee?

There isn’t really a typical day. Every day is different and that is what I like most about this franchise opportunity. I could be surveying a site for a fire alarm, producing design drawings for a CCTV system, out on site helping out on an installation or in a meeting with a large customer talking about the service schedule for the month. I also spend a lot of time networking as well as attending business shows and exhibitions. Owning a fire and security franchise is an incredibly varied role and requires lots of hard work and adaptability.

Have you faced any challenges in running your franchise?

I’d say I face many challenges every day and the more the franchise grows the more frequent the challenges arise. The biggest single challenge is trying to ensure that every customer regardless of the size of the order gets the same level of service as repeat business for a new franchise is absolutely crucial.

What marketing and/or promotional tools do you use to grow your franchise?  

We have a corporate website with a section designed for each local franchise. On initial launch of the franchise, online marketing is used as the main tool for attracting new enquiries and each franchisee has their own customised telemarketing campaign aimed at securing meetings with local businesses. I also go to as many networking events as possible in the local area and regularly attend around three per week.

Would you recommend a franchise opportunity with Jackson Fire & Security to others seeking to run a franchise?

I would recommend a Jackson Franchise to the right person who has a sales background. You also need to be pretty thick skinned as it’s a tough and competitive business to be in, but the rewards are there for those who are able to put the work in.

What are your plans for the future?

I think immediate plans are to build on a positive start and secure another multi-site servicing contract before the end of my first year. Looking to the future, the plan is for steady growth adding more service engineers to the company as we grow.

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